Hinano Ambree
Brasserie de Tahiti S.A.

 

 

 

 

On tap and in bottles while in French Polynesia.

This is a well-balanced beer: malty, roasty sweetness counterbalanced by well-proportioned hops. It's almost like a brown ale but still refreshing on a hot day in French Polynesia. This will be one of my go-to beers on this trip.

 

 

Nothing special a min to Killians red drinkable and forgettable

 

 

 

Apparently this is the new sister to the typical Hinano Blonde that can be found EVERYWHERE in French Polynesia. Pours a deep red with a thin layer of pure white head. Smells somewhat sweet with a hint of hops and then malty overtones. The taste was, in a word, shocking. The entire 10 day period my wife and I spent in French Polynesia I had and saw nothing but Hinano Blonde and Tabu (The Coors Light and Corona clones of FP). When I found this on tap at dinner I decided to give it a whirl in hopes of a little change. What I got was a surprise. Rich malty flavor with a touch of hops and a smooth, sweet finish. If the 50cl draft didn't cost $15 (prices of everything in FP are outrageous!), I would have stayed there all night. Luckily on our last day, I found the only grocery store on Bora Bora and they had bottles for 260 francs each ($3). I loaded up and brought some home.

The only beer I found in FP that had some character. A must have on your next trip there.